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Gaur G. Ray
Rauf Iqbal
Anindya K. Ganguli
Vivek Khanzode Editors

Ergonomics
in Caring
for People
Proceedings of the International
Conference on Humanizing Work and
Work Environment 2015
Ergonomics in Caring for People
Gaur G. Ray Rauf Iqbal Anindya K. Ganguli
• •

Vivek Khanzode
Editors

Ergonomics in Caring
for People
Proceedings of the International Conference
on Humanizing Work and Work
Environment 2015

123
Editors
Gaur G. Ray Anindya K. Ganguli
Industrial Design Centre Bharat Heavy Electricals Ltd.
Indian Institute of Technology Bombay Kolkata, West Bengal
Mumbai, Maharashtra India
India
Vivek Khanzode
Rauf Iqbal National Institute of Industrial Engineering
National Institute of Industrial Engineering (NITIE)
(NITIE) Vihar Lake, Mumbai, Maharashtra
Vihar Lake, Mumbai, Maharashtra India
India

ISBN 978-981-10-4979-8 ISBN 978-981-10-4980-4 (eBook)

https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-10-4980-4
Library of Congress Control Number: 2017943184

© Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2018

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Preface

From the December 7–9, 2015, about 175 academicians, researchers, teachers,
students, consultants, and others, gathered in Mumbai, India and focused on caring
for people through humanizing work and work environment. They came not only
from all parts of India, but also from all over the globe to present about 260 papers
in different forums of the HWWE 2015 conference. These participants represented
many different disciplines and interests, and this is reflected in the spectrum of the
papers included in this volume.
Of these papers, around 80 papers were considered suitable by the panel of
independent referees for acceptance in the Peer Review category, that is, papers
which the authors considered were worthy of consideration in a peer-reviewed
publication. An internal review of these 80 papers by the editors following the
Springer guidelines resulted in a final selection of 43 quality papers for this volume.
Apart from quality, the brief given to the selectors was diversity, the result being that
agriculture, accessibility, industry (particularly the un-organized sector), occupa-
tional health, and psychophysiology are just some of the themes covered here.
Though the conference organizers’ initial paper submission guidelines specified
rigorous formatting requirements, there was a fair amount of divergence which
needed editorial effort and correspondence with the authors, especially to match the
stringent standards of the publisher. The final product is entitled “Ergonomics in
Caring for People—Proceedings of the International Conference on Humanizing
Work and Work Environment 2015.”
HWWE 2015 was the thirteenth such conference under the aegis of the Indian
Society of Ergonomics. As in the case of the first conference, the editors of the
present volume hope that it will provide guidance to all concerned in ergonomics
application, research, and teaching, and lead to a discussion of needs and strategies
for the further growth and development of ergonomics.

Mumbai, India Gaur G. Ray

Mumbai, India Rauf Iqbal
Kolkata, India Anindya K. Ganguli
Mumbai, India Vivek Khanzode

v
Acknowledgements

The task of organizing a conference is huge and the successful conduction of the
conference remains incomplete without the support of many people involved in
making the conference a success.
We would like to convey our thanks and gratitude to Prof. Devang Vipin
Khakhar, Director, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay (IITB) and Prof. (Ms.)
Karuna Jain, Director, National Institute of Industrial Engineering (NITIE),
Mumbai. Without their support it would not have been possible to conduct such a
mega International Conference on Humanizing Work and Work Environment 2015
and International Symposium on Community Nutrition and Health: A Social
Responsibility.
The conference was jointly hosted by the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay
(IITB) and National Institute of Industrial Engineering (NITIE); in collaboration
with the Punjab Engineering College (PEC) University of Technology, Chandigarh.
A special convey of thanks to Prof. Manoj K. Arora, Director, PEC University of
Technology, Chandigarh, and Prof. Praveen Kalra Dean Academics, PEC University
of Technology, Chandigarh for their continued support.
We take the opportunity to thank International Ergonomics Association
(IEA) for endorsing the conference, with special reference to Dr. Yushi Fujita
(President, IEA), Dr. Jose Orlando Gomes (Vice President and Treasurer, IEA), Mr.
Andrew Todd (International Development Committee Chair, IEA), Dr. Kazutaka
Kogi (President, ICOH), Dr. Eric Min-yang Wang (Awards Standing Committee
Chair, IEA), and Dr. Rosemary R. Seva (President, Human Factors and Ergonomics
Society of The Philippines).
We also would like to thank the Indian Society of Ergonomics, which is the only
professional body representing ergonomics/human factors professionals in India
with special reference to Dr. A.K. Ganguli (President, ISE), Dr. D. Majumdar (Vice
President, ISE), Dr. Debkumar Chakrabarti, (Vice President, ISE), and all other
associated members of ISE for their constant support.
We are highly grateful to Dr. P.K. Nag (Conference Chair) for his constant
support and guidance in organizing the conference.

vii
viii Acknowledgements

We would like to extend our warm greetings to Nutrition Society of India (NSI),
Mumbai with special mention to Dr. Kasturi Sen Ray (President), Dr. Meena
Godhia (Secretary), Priyadarshini Muley L. (Convener), and very active organizing
committee members of NSI for their support throughout the conference making it a
grand success.
We would like mention a special thanks to all the International Advisory
Committee members and National Advisory Committee members for providing
their expertise in helping with the selection and reviewing of the papers received for
the conference. We express our gratitude to the scientific committee Dr. A.K.
Ganguli and Dr. Vivek Khanzode (Secretary Scientific committee, HWWE2015),
and Dr. Rita Patil (Secretary, CNH) for their expert guidance in paper selection for
the conference.
A special mention of thanks to Dr. B. Sesikeran (Former Director, National
Institute of Nutrition, Vice President, Nutrition Society of India), Dr. Amaresh
Chakrabarti (Professor Centre for Product Design and Manufacturing, IISc,
Bangalore), Dr. Rosemary R. Seva (President, Human Factors and Ergonomics
Society of The Philippines), Dr. Seyed Ali Hosseini (Professor, University of Social
welfare and Rehabilitation Sciences, Tehran, Iran), Dr. Anil Kakodkar
(Ex-Director, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) and Satish Dhawan Chair
of Engineering Eminence) who delivered the keynote sessions, and other invited
speakers who moderated and also chaired the specific sessions in each of the
conference section. We are thankful to all the Invited speakers who shared their
experiences from their respective fields during the conference.
We appreciate the efforts of Mr. Nirav Shah (Godrej Interio) Dr. Reena Valecha
(Godrej Interio), Charudatta Jadhav (TATA consultancy services), Dr. Arun Garg
(Distinguished Professor, University of Wisconsin. Milwaukee), Dr. Deepak Sharan
(RECOUP Neuromusculoskeletal Rehabilitation Centre, Bangalore), Mr. Madan
Kulkarni (Managing Director Kalakruti Furnitures Pvt. Ltd., MIDC Gokul
Shirgaon, Kolhapur), Dr. Prema Ramchandra (Director, Nutrition Foundation of
India), and delegates from Mahindra and Mahindra Limited for conducting very
effective workshops in the HWWE2015. Participants have been benefited immen-
sely from each workshop.
The gratitude expressed would be incomplete without the mention of the
delegates, who came from different parts of the globe and assembled here to share
their experiences.
The organizing committee deserves special thanks who worked tirelessly day in
and day out to make sure that all things associated with the conference were perfect
and in order. A heartfelt thank to all our working team who really need high
appreciation and applause for crafting this conference. Special thanks to Ms.
Madavi Sathe, Ms. Anuradha Shekhar, Dr. Rupali Sengupta, Ms. Mitra Savanur,
Dr. Pooja Singhania C., Dr. Neha Paharia A., Ms. Shama Chavan, Ms. Bijal Lalan,
Mr. Amar, Ms. Lavanya, Ms. Payel, Ms. Shreya, Ms. Arundhati, Ms. Shikha, Ms.
Priyanka, Ms. Akanksha, Ms. Jayati, Mr. Ankur, Mr. Quashif, and Mr. Himanshu
for their endless support in this conference. Endless thanks to Mr. Sajan Pillai who
designed the conference website and Mr. Varun Mevada who efficiently designed
Acknowledgements ix

all the conference materials including printing and publications. The M. Des student
volunteers from Industrial Design Centre (IDC) deserve a huge appreciation for
managing the conference and assuring the sessions run as per the time schedule.
The Selfless help awarded by IDC and NITIE Faculty and staff during the con-
ference is highly appreciated.
We are extremely grateful to Springer for publishing selected full papers through
“Peer review” under a special volume namely “Ergonomics in Caring for People—
Proceedings of the International Conference on Humanizing Work and Work
Environment 2015.”
Finally, we covey our sincere thanks to all the sponsors, i.e., Glanbia
Nutritionals, COSMED, Kelloggs, Mahindra and Mahindra Limited, Pukhya
Healthcare, TATA consultancy services, Godrej Interio, Eltek Systems, Qualisys,
and Vitamin Angels who have not only generously contributed but also acted as
well wishers by providing their suggestions as and when required.

Conference Co-Chair
Gaur G. Ray
Professor
IDC, IIT Bombay

Conference Co-Chair
Rauf Iqbal
Associate Professor
NITIE, Mumbai
Contents

Part I Biomechanics
1 Impact of Footwear on Gait Parameter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Devika Vipin Vaidya, Rauf Iqbal and Archana Bhatnagar
2 Characteristics of Gait Variability Among Healthy
Indian Construction Workers During Different Load
Carrying Modes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Arundhati Guha Thakurta, Rauf Iqbal, H.V. Bhasin, Amitabha De,
Vivek Khanzode and Shreya Maulik

Part II Musculo Skeletal Disorders

3 A Study on Agony of Indian Percussionists. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
W. Mishra, Amitabha De, Rauf Iqbal, Vivek Khanzode,
S. Gangopadhyay and A.M. Chandra
4 Prevalence of Upper Limb Disorders and Investigation
of Risk Factors Among Commercial Kitchen Male
Workers in South India . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
S. Shankar, M. Shanmugam and J. Srinivasan
5 Effect of Occupational Factors on Musculoskeletal Disorders
of the Insurance Office Employees: A Case Study . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
Harbir Singh and Lakhwinder Pal Singh
6 Assessment of Forearm Muscle Work in Various
Dental Activities. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
Tejashree A. Dabholkar, Sujata Yardi and Ajit Dabholkar
7 Investigation of Magnitude of Musculoskeletal Disorders
Among Cotton Spinning Operators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
Dhananjay Ikhar and Vishwas Deshpande

xi
xii Contents

8 Working Period, Year of Exposure and the Prevalence of

Musculoskeletal Disorders Among the Saw Mill Workers:
A Cross-Sectional Study . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57
Asit Adhikari and Subhashis Sahu
9 Duration of Exposure (Working Hours) and Musculoskeletal
Discomfort/Pain . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65
Urmi R. Salve and Amitabha De

Part III Health and Safety

10 Knowledge–Attitude–Practice (KAP) Study
and Nutrition Education of Athletic and Non-athletic
Teenagers (13–18 Years) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73
Ashwini R. Sadhu and Deepali Kotwal
11 A Study on Auditory Status of School Going Children
Residing Near Railway Track . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83
Chatterjee Sandipan, Chatterjee Ayan, Chatterjee Surjani,
Santra Tanaya, Mondal Prosun, Banerjee Neepa
and Mukherjee Shankarashis
12 Assessment of Scapular Stability in Postpartum Females:
A Longitudinal Study . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91
Akhila Krishnakumar, Tejashree A. Dabholkar and Ajit Dabholkar
13 General Health-Related Physical Fitness Levels of College-Going
Girls from Maharashtra . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97
P. Patel, Rauf Iqbal, H. Bhasin, A. Bhatnagar and M.K. Chauhan
14 Bagasse—A Replacement of Glass Wool
as an Acoustic Material . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105
Mohit Gaur, M. Muzammil and Abid Ali Khan

Part IV Occupational Ergonomics

15 Manual Material Handling by Rural Women: An In-depth
Analysis of the Body Pain Areas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113
Gupta Nidhi and Pupalla Padmaja
16 Characterization of Drudgery of Farm Women in the Soybean
Production System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 125
Jayshree P. Zend, Manjusha S. Revanwar and Sandhya N. Admankar
17 Association of Job and Demographical Risk Factor
with Occurrence of Neck Pain Among Hand Screen
Printing Workers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 131
S. Shankar, R. Naveen Kumar, P. Mohankumar, J. Karthick
and S. Pradeep
Contents xiii

18 Effect of Fatigue on Hand Function in Dental Profession. . . . . . . . . 139

Tejashree A. Dabholkar, Riddhi Shroff, Ajit Dabholkar
and Sujata Yardi
19 Cardiac Stress Among Two Types of Handloom Weavers . . . . . . . . 145
Santu Durlov and Subhashis Sahu
20 Workspace Amenities for Assam Policewomen: Ergonomic
Interventions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 153
Shilpi Bora, Abhirup Chatterjee and Debkumar Chakrabarti
21 Physiological and Metabolic Status of Bus Drivers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 161
C.K. Pradhan, I. Chakraborty, S. Thakur and S. Mukherjee
22 Effectiveness of a Participatory Ergonomics Intervention
to Improve Musculoskeletal Health: A Solomon
Four-Group Study Among Manufacturing Industry
Workers in Selangor, Malaysia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 169
C.S. Lim, B.B. Mohd Rafee, A.R. Anita, A.S. Shamsul
and S.B. Mohd Noor

Part V Design Ergonomics

23 Ergonomic Intervention for Manual Harvesting in Agriculture:
A Review . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 183
R. Jain, M.L. Meena and G.S. Dangayach
24 Skin–Bed Interface Pressure on Standard Hospital Mattress
for Sitting, Prone, and Supine Posture in Healthy Adults . . . . . . . . 193
Sachin S. Shinde and Neela R. Rajhans
25 Design of Continuously Variable Transmission Mechanism
for Economy Cars in India . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 201
Sanjog Kumar Panda, Abhirup Chatterjee and Debkumar Chakrabarti
26 A Brief Procedure for Ergonomic Design of Hand Tool
for Small-Scale Industries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 209
M.K. Sain, M.L. Meena, G.S. Dangayach and A.K. Bhardwaj
27 Designing Washroom for Wheelchair Users in Vocational
Training Schools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 215
P. Shivalkar and M.K. Chauhan
28 Intra- and Inter-reliability of Cervical Goniometer Used
to Measure Cervical Range of Motion in Young Adults . . . . . . . . . . 223
Shivani Chowdhury Salian and Arushi Tiwari
xiv Contents

Part VI User Experience

29 Number Plate Design for Bicycles: An Approach
from Aesthetic and Ergonomic Perspective . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 235
Mohammad Shahid, Subir Dey, Subhajit Chandra, Anmol Srivastava,
Ashish Kumar Yadav, Shilpi Bora, Pallavi Rani
and Debkumar Chakrabarti
30 Anthropomorphic Televisions Are More Attractive:
The Effect of Novelty . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 243
Anirban Chowdhury, Debkumar Chakrabarti and Sougata Karmakar
31 Identification of Aesthetically Favourable Interface Attributes
for Better User Experience of Social Networking Application . . . . . 251
Devyani Shirole, Anirban Chowdhury and Debayan Dhar
32 Exploring Embedded Intelligence as a Means of Minimizing
Cognitive Load of Students in Electronics Engineering
Instructional Laboratory Sessions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 261
Anmol Srivastava and Pradeep Yammiyavar
33 Product Graphical User Interfaces: A Study for the Meaning
and Usability on Automobile Dashboard User Interfaces
in Indian Context . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 267
Venkateshwarlu Varala and Pradeep Yammiyavar
34 Effect of Baby-Like Product Personality on Visually
Perceived Pleasure: A Study on Coffeemakers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 273
Prachi Karkun, Anirban Chowdhury and Debayan Dhar
35 ‘Quantitative Probabilistic Widgets’: Method to Improve
Usability Performance of Data Entry Task . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 281
Shrikant Salve and Pradeep Yammiyavar

Part VII Cognitive Ergonomics

36 An Eye-Free Android Application for Visually
Impaired Users . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 291
Uday Sagale, Ganesh Bhutkar, Mahadev Karad and Nikhil Jathar
37 Meditation as a Countermeasure to Reduce Cognitive
Decline During Total Sleep Deprivation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 299
Abhirup Chatterjee, Koushik Ray, Usha Panjwani,
Jag Parvesh Anand, Lalan Thakur, Sanjeev Kumar
and Debkumar Chakrabarti
Contents xv

38 Effects of Bharatnatyam Dancing on the Cognitive Ability

of Adult Bengalee Females . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 313
Chatterjee Surjani, Banerjee Neepa, Chatterjee Sandipan,
Bhattacharjee Satabdi, Banerjee Debamalya
and Mukherjee Shankarashis
39 A Cognitive Approach to Design of Habitats in Extraterrestrial
Environments: Review of Literature . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 321
Biswaksen Patnaik
40 Mental Fatigue Quantification by Physiological and
Neurophysiological Techniques: An Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 327
Rajesh Kumar, Parveen Kalra and A.K. Lall
41 Role of Language in Transfer of Tacit Knowledge: Case Study
of Bamboo Crafts Making Industries in Northeast India . . . . . . . . . 337
S.P. Ojha and Pradeep Yammiyavar
42 Study of Visual Ergonomic Issues in Title Design in Popular
Hindi Cinema Posters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 345
Mohammad Shahid and Dharmalingam Udaya Kumar
43 Research in Driver–Vehicle Interaction: Indian Scenario. . . . . . . . . 353
Indresh Verma, Susmita Nath and Sougata Karmakar
Author Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 363
About the Editors

Prof. Gaur G. Ray is currently appointed as the Ramkrishna Bajaj Chair Professor
of the Industrial Design Centre (IDC) at the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay
(IITB). He recently got superannuated and been offered the ‘Professor Emeritus
Fellowship’ Position by IITB from July, 2017. He was also the Head of the
Department from 2009 to 2013 and responsible as the Head of the Ergonomics
program of the institute. His past roles includes being appointed as Visiting Faculty
at the Department of Engineering Design, Tufts University, USA, Department of
Human Work Sciences, Lulea University of Technology, Sweden, and several other
Universities. He was the founder member and served as the Honorary President
of the Indian Society of Ergonomics for about 10 years and also was the
Chairperson of the Ergonomics Section (PG 15), Bureau of Indian Standard, for 9
years. Professor Gaur G. Ray has also been involved in a number of international
relations development projects including research collaborations between the
Industrial Design Centre (IDC) at IITB and the Institute of Ergonomics (IAD) at TU
Darmstadt in Germany and other universities. His major activities are in the areas
on application of ergonomics in product development, for the people at the bottom
of the pyramid, agriculture sector, geriatric population, automotive industry and
design for the special people. He has published more than 30 papers in International
Journals, Presented more than 130 papers in different national and International
conferences, completed more that 15 funded projects by DST, MHRD, AICTE, and
other organizations, completed more than 8 major consultation projects starting
from vehicle design, workstation design, low cost agricultural tools design, etc. He
recently completed the entire driver’s cabin design, layout, control panel organi-
sation, and chair design for Mumbai Railway Vikas Limited. He has been awarded
“J.N. Maitra” Gold Medal in the year 1998 by the Physiological Society of India for
contribution in Indian Ergonomics. He was invited as Keynote Speaker by the
International Ergonomics Association in 2015 at Melbourne. He has also received
several best paper awards in the International and International conferences. In the
year 2014, he received the Ramkrishna Bajaj Chair Professor Fellowship Award
from IITB for 3 years. Professor Ray has guided seven PhDs, more than 20 MDes
projects, and several M.Tech. and M.Sc. projects. He has published two books,

xvii
xviii About the Editors

edited 2 conference proceedings, and obtained three National patents. He has

applied for one International patent in the area of product design. Professor Ray is
attached with several International and National Publishers as a referee. He is also
member of the International Development Standing Committee of the International
Ergonomics Association. The Concept of creating HWWE platform in India is his
brain child and the first HWWE conference was hosted at IDC, IITB, in the year
2001 under his secretariat.
Dr. Rauf Iqbal Associate Professor—Ergonomics and Human Factors
Engineering, Prof. In-Charge—Ergonomics Laboratory, Coordinator—Mind to
Market Centre, National Institute of Industrial Engineering (NITIE). His academic
qualification is M.Sc. in Ergonomics and Work Physiology (Topper, Gold Medalist,
Calcutta University) and Ph.D. His areas of expertise are Ergonomics & Human
Factors Engineering and Worksystem Design. He has published 39 papers in
International and National Journals including book chapter. He had presented 57
papers in International and national conferences. Five scholars have been awarded
Ph.D. and five more are currently pursuing their Ph.D. under the guidance of Prof.
Rauf Iqbal. He is the paper reviewer of (i) ‘Journal of Back and Musculoskeletal
Rehabilitation’, published by Roessingh Research and Development, Netherlands.
(ii) ‘Journal of Sports Sciences’, published by Taylor and Francis group on behalf
of the British Association of Sport and Exercise Sciences, UK. (iii) ‘Indian Journal
of Biological Sciences’ published by Vidyasagar University, West Bengal, and
(iv) International Journal of Health Science and wellbeing’, Nigeria. He is the
member of various national and international committees like member of the
Technical Committee for Prime Minister’s Shram Awards for the year 2015.
Member of Tripartite Awards Committee of Vishwakarma Rashtriya Puraskar
(VRP) and National Safety Awards (NSA) by the Ministry of Labour and
Employment, Govt. of India, since 2014; member of BRICSplus liaison
Sub-Committee for collaborative work (training, research, and conference) on
ergonomics among BRICS countries; International Editorial Board member of
Journal of Health and Safety at work, published by Tehran University Medical
Journal publisher; member of Research Progress Committee, external expert and
member of Internal Quality Assurance Cell of SNDT Women’s University,
Mumbai, etc.
He has Conducted 10 sponsored projects/National studies and more than 50
industrial consultancy studies in the area of Ergonomics, Work-study, and man-
power optimization. Recently he has been involved in “Redesigning the palanquin
system for use in Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine”, funded by the office of the Principal
Scientific Advisor to Govt. of India, New Delhi. He is involved in collaborative
research and consultancy with various industries and institutes in the area of
Ergonomics, Product, and Worksystem Design. He has been organizing confer-
ences and seminars at national and international level.
Dr. Anindya K. Ganguli was born and educated in Calcutta. After graduating
from Presidency College, Calcutta, in 1975, he completed his postgraduate studies
in Physiology (with specialisation in Work Physiology and Ergonomics) from
About the Editors xix

Calcutta University in 1977, and undertook research in the Ergonomics Laboratory

of the Department of Physiology, Calcutta University under the renowned Prof. R.
N. Sen. In 1983, he joined the Occupational Health Service of the Bharat Heavy
Electricals Ltd., Tiruchirapalli, as the first ever in-house ergonomist in Indian
industry, ultimately heading the Work Physiology and Ergonomics unit there. He
grew with the organization in its Occupational Health and Safety journey till his
retirement as a Senior Deputy General Manager in 2014. He is a Lead Assessor for
the Occupational Health and Safety Management System Standard (OHSAS
18001), and Environment Management System Standard (ISO 14001), and has
undertaken numerous ergonomics consultancy assignments in different industries.
He is the Chairman of the Sectional Committee on Ergonomics Standards
(PGD-15) of the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS). He served as faculty in
Ergonomics for the M.E. (Industrial Safety Engineering) course at the National
Institute of Technology (Formerly REC), Tiruchirappalli, and as visiting faculty for
the M.Des. course at the Industrial Design Centre, IIT Bombay. He has published
30 scientific papers, (including 12 in foreign journals), has contributed to four
books. He has received the BEL-IND Award for the Best Research Paper in
Industrial Medicine, and the Sadagopan Memorial Oration Award. Currently, he is
a member of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society (USA), and the President
of the Indian Society of Ergonomics.
Vivek Khanzode is Associate Professor at National Institute of Industrial
Engineering, Mumbai. His academic credentials include Bachelor’s degree in
Mechanical Engineering from Walchand College of Engineering, Sangli, and M.
Tech. and Ph.D. in Industrial Engineering from IIT Kharagpur. He has been
recipient of Director’s Silver Medal at M.Tech. program in IIT Kharagpur. He has
5½ years of industrial experience and 14 years of academic experience. He has
helped various organizations including several small-scale units to improve pro-
ductivity using industrial engineering tools and techniques. He regularly conducts
niche training programs in the areas of Industrial Engineering, Worksystem Design,
Lean Manufacturing, and Industrial Safety Management for practitioners and aca-
demicians. He is also involved in collaborative research activities in these areas.
Professor Khanzode has published 13 papers in international journals, and pre-
sented 23 papers in international and national conferences. One scholar has been
awarded Ph.D. under the guidance of Prof. Khanzode and four more are pursuing
doctoral research. Three of his papers are included in the ILO database of Hazard
and Injury Risk Assessment. Currently he has been involved in redesigning the
palanquin system for Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine, a NITIE–IIT Bombay joint project
funded by the Office of the Principal Scientific Advisor, Government of India, New
Delhi. Professor Khanzode teaches Operations Management, Lean Manufacturing,
Simulation Modeling, Facilities and Layout Planning, and Worksystem Design in
different postgraduate programs at NITIE.
 Part I
Biomechanics
Chapter 1
Impact of Footwear on Gait Parameter

Devika Vipin Vaidya, Rauf Iqbal and Archana Bhatnagar

Abstract A pair of faulty footwear can alter your gait pattern as well as can cause
stress on your lower extremity. Study emphasis impact of high heels and flat heels
on gait and also highlights pain and aches due to faulty footwear of young female
adults. A group of 18 females with mean age, height and weight
22.67 ± 1.49 years, 157.65 ± 6.70 cm and 55.72 ± 10.89 kg respectively were
selected for the study. Subjects were allowed to walk at self-selected speed for three
test conditions, i.e., barefoot walk, flat heel walk, and high heel walk. Their gait was
captured by Qualisys Motion Capture System with Oqus infrared camera (6 no.)
Sweden. Speed and stride length decreased whereas stride width and double limb
support increased. Consumer perspective while purchasing and using footwear was
examined on 90 young females, poor choice of footwear negatively influenced the
gait pattern. Footwear design is proposed in the study to reduce stress on lower
extremity while acquiring natural gait.

Keywords Gait pattern Footwear design
Footwear choice
Stride length



Stride width Double limb support

D.V. Vaidya (&)
A. Bhatnagar

S.N.D.T Women’s University, Mumbai, India
e-mail: vaidya_devika@yahoo.in
A. Bhatnagar
e-mail: archbhatnagar@yahoo.co.uk
R. Iqbal
Ergonomics and Human Factors, National Institute of Industrial Engineering,
Vihar Lake Road, Mumbai, Maharashtra 400087, India
e-mail: rauf.nitie@gmail.com

© Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2018 3

G.G. Ray et al. (eds.), Ergonomics in Caring for People,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-10-4980-4_1
4 D.V. Vaidya et al.

1 Introduction

Walking, specifically gait is a basic component of daily living and every individual
has a unique gait pattern. Gait analysis is a field of biomechanics which system-
atically measures, analyze, and assess human walking pattern from initial placement
of the heel on the ground to placing same heel on the ground for a second time.
Indian footwear industry ranks second largest in the world [3]. Footwear protects
and supports feet during locomotion; footwear selection is one of an important
consideration for comfortable walking.
Consumer trends dominate greater sales of female footwear compared to male
footwear [3]. Female adults love closet full of footwear be it flats, heels, boots,
ballets, sandals, clogs, platforms, wedges, strappy, buckled, lace-ups, peep-toes a
woman has desire for all, a great pair of footwear instantly changes their mood for
the better. Overall women consider design and fashion rather than health and
comfort as their top priorities while purchasing footwear [4].
The purpose of this study was to determine change in gait pattern while wearing
flat heel, i.e., flip-flop (1 inch), high heels (4 inch) and comparing it with barefoot
with respect to walking speed, stride width, stride length, double limb support, and
ground reaction force on young females. Also consumer perspective while buying
and discomfort while using footwear was studied.
Study recommends footwear design keeping in mind material, heel height, and pattern
for the females who prefer aesthetics over comfort of the footwear. Good design with
comfort and aesthetics will add value without compromising health of the well-being.

2 Methodology

The study was carried at the Ergonomics laboratory of National Institute of Industrial
Engineering (NITIE), Mumbai. The sample size for the experimental study was 18
females in the age range of 20–30 years and 90 similar participants for descriptive
study. The subjects were selected by using purposive sampling method.
An array of six high speed cameras type-OQUS by Qualisys Motion Capture
System, Sweden were used to film the participants walking along a pathway.
Thirty-six reflective markers were placed on specific locations of each partici-
pant’s legs and pelvic region. Markers were placed as close to body and remained
stationary thought the study.
Each participant walked barefoot at a self-selected speed to establish a baseline
and then in a random order, they walked along the walkway wearing flip-flops and
heels for a minute respectively. Each participant followed the same protocol for
three testing conditions. The participants were allowed to walk on two force plates
(Kistler, Switzerland). Force plate-1 and force plate-2 were stepped by left foot and
right foot respectively. Three trials were recorded for each participant by OQUS
infrared digital cameras. The best of the trials were considered for analysis. The
data was analyzed by Visual 3D software (professional version).
1 Impact of Footwear on Gait Parameter 5

The defining markers placed on the body enabled Visual 3D to track and
reconstruct the digital skeleton of the participant. Gait reports were generated for
each participant and comparison was made.
ANOVA TEST was performed on kinematic and kinetic gait characteristics to
find impact of footwear on walking pattern.
Questionnaires were completed and returned by respondents with respect to their
buying behavior of footwear and pains or aches during daily walk. Descriptive
statistics was used to analyze consumer perspective for purchasing and using
footwear.

3 Results

Mean age, height, and weight of the participants were 22.67 ± 1.49 years,
157.65 ± 6.70 cm, and 55.72 ± 10.89 kg respectively.
Table 1 display’s different gait parameters like speed, stride length, stride width;
ground reaction force which creates difference among barefoot walk, flat heel walk,
and high heel walk.
ANOVA test revealed significant difference among speed (p = 0.00), stride
length (p = 0.01) and double limb support (p = 0.00) while walking barefoot, with
flat heel and high heel, no significant differences were seen between stride width
and ground reaction force (p < 0.05)
Consumer perspective revealed 62% women wear flat heel daily as compared to
shoes, sandals and heels and 96% women wear heels for occasions. 82% women
prefer fashion over comfort of the footwear which leads to pressure on feet altering
gait pattern. It was found that 58% women wear semi-hard material cushioning
footwear. Cushioning is considered one of the important elements absorbing shock
during heel strike. Study reveals that 76% women suffer from foot aching, 48%
from shoe bites and 4% from blisters. Shoe bites can occur due to wearing new or
ill-fitting of footwear. 79% females suffer from pain in lower extremity. Pain was

Table 1 ANOVA test—gait parameters with respect to footwear’s

Gait parameters df Mean square F p value
Speed 2 0.134 11.535 0.000
Stride_length 2 0.090 7.942 0.001
Stride_width 2 0.005 0.487 0.617
D_L_S 2 723.463 53.008 0.000
GRF_left 2 701.487 0.150 0.861
GRF_right 2 148.679 0.035 0.966
Bold values As values are significant showing the changes
6 D.V. Vaidya et al.

addressed in lower back, thighs, knees, calves, and feet. Thereby, footwear can
directly influence gait pattern with respect to its design, heel height, cushioning and
arch support.

4 Discussion

In the study, speed, stride length significantly decreased from barefoot walk to flat
heel to high heels. Speed was the slowest while wearing high heels and double limb
support increased significantly while wearing high heels in order to maintain bal-
ance. Thus gait pattern changes when wearing flat heel as well as high heel but
maximum changes were noted during high heel walk.
Similar study was reported as heel height increases, the females display shorter
stride length and step length, wider stride width and increase walking cadence
which attributed to a more cautious walking pattern so as to compensate for the
elevation and forward shift of the center of gravity, and altered biomechanics of the
foot so as to prevent falls and foster postural stability [5].
Other research on five female participants exhibited that wearing high-heeled
shoes displayed decrease in stride length and step length [2].
Researcher compared the effect of different heel heights on gait parameters of
individuals wearing high heel shoes with low heel shoes or with barefoot. The
researcher noted that individuals on high-heeled shoes have shorter stride length
and increased walking cadence [1]. High-heeled gait disrupts ideal pattern as
reported by [6].
Wearing high heels not only influences gait pattern negatively but also causes
pains and aches in lower extremity. High-heeled shoes with an excessive focus on
fashion can lead to musculoskeletal diseases such as plantar fasciitis, hallux valgus,
ankle sprain, and chronic lower back pain and induce change in the muscles around
the knee joint increasing chances of knee osteoarthritis and may increase the risks
of back pain and strain injury [4].
Flip-flops have gained a huge market as they are cheap, comfortable, light
weight, and convenient to wear and walk. According to American Podiatric
Medical Association (APMA) flip-flops are not good for extensive walking as there
is no arch support, heel cushioning or shock absorption and can cause foot pain
moreover it hardens sole of our feet.
1 Impact of Footwear on Gait Parameter 7

Fig. 1 Proposed footwear

design by Author (self-made)

5 Conclusion

Speed and stride length reduces whereas stride width and double limb support
increases from barefoot to flat heel to high heels gait pattern.
Different types of footwear alter gait pattern. Maximum change in the gait
pattern was noted with high heels, also footwear without heels like flip-flops are not
suitable for walking as it does not have arch support.
Footwear choice is made with respect to fashion/aesthetics and not comfort of
footwear. Faulty footwear design leads to several feet problems.
Finding the right pair of footwear seems to be a simple task, but with the
advances in material and production, one should be careful while making choice of
footwear. During procurement of shoes it is to be noted that the footwear bends at
the toe box, but not too flexible, there should be a sufficient arch support and incase
of heels, a chunky heel less than 2 inches high should be chosen.
In order to have natural and comfortable walk, footwear design was proposed in
this study as shown in Fig. 1 that will help in minimizing stress on lower extremity.
Design was made considering foot bed, arch support, soft sole, more contact area
of heel, soft lining of upper, breathability of material and comfort along with
aesthetics. Stage one involved making suitable last (mould) for the footwear,
subsequently various materials were collected and final design was made. Lycra
material was used for upper part of the footwear bands to avoid shoe bite, Epdm
material which has dual density and softness was used for insole, pattern was
selected to give complete grip to the feet with good heel height.
Proposed footwear envisages aesthetic design with comfortable-natural gait
without stress on lower body.
8 D.V. Vaidya et al.

Acknowledgements Heartfelt thanks to teaching and non-teaching staff from NITIE for pro-
viding guidance and support during the study. Special thanks to footwear vendors and FDDI
institute for helping in footwear product development. Thanks to mentors, participants without
whom the study was impossible.

References

1. Gefen A, Megido-Ravid M, Itzchak Y, Arean M (2002) Analysis of muscular fatigue and foot
stability during high-heeled gait. Gait Posture 15(1):56–63
2. Godwin L, Mckinzie T, Royo M (2004) The effect of heel height on gait: a kinematic approach.
J Rehabil Res Dev 41(4):547–554
3. Indian Footwear Market Forecast 2014, India. http://www.rncos.com/Report/IM310.htm.
January, 2015
4. Ko D, Lee H (2013) The changes of COP and foot pressure after one hour’s walking wearing
high-heeled and flat shoes. J Phys Ther Sci 25(10):1309–1312
5. Maduabuchi N, Afamefuna E, Antoninus E, Chidubem N (2012) Effects of different heel
heights on selected gait parameters of young undergraduate females. J Paramed Sci 3(3):11–13
6. Stefanyshyn D, Nigg B, Fisher V (2015) The influence of high heeled shoes on kinematics,
kinetics, and muscle EMG of normal female gait. J Biomech 16:309
Chapter 2
Characteristics of Gait Variability Among
Healthy Indian Construction Workers
During Different Load Carrying Modes

Arundhati Guha Thakurta, Rauf Iqbal, H.V. Bhasin, Amitabha De,

Vivek Khanzode and Shreya Maulik

Abstract Compared to work-related musculoskeletal disorders of the upper

extremity and lower back area, much less investigative focus has been found on the
prevention of lower limb musculoskeletal disorders and injury (LLD) in the work-
place. A higher incidence of musculoskeletal injuries in lower extremities when
carrying a heavy load during daily activities was found among Indian construction
workers. The objective of this study was to examine the changes in temporal and distal
gait parameters of healthy Indian men and women construction workers with different
modes of load carriage. Five healthy male and five female construction workers were
selected to walk at self-selected speed along a 7 m walkway, crossing two Kistler
force platforms with unloaded and different loaded (15 kg) conditions. Indian males
and females displayed significantly different gait patterns under all load conditions
while the changes were relatively small in males. The results also indicated that the
walking patterns of both the male and female subjects among the Indian construction
labours were affected while carrying loads in different modes. It was found that due to
differences in the ability to carry heavy loads in different modes, females are more
prone to injuries compared to males and so considering the biological differences load
carriage task should be assigned carefully to the female labours.

Keywords Stride length/stride width
Load carriage, swing time, double limb


support Walking speed

A. Guha Thakurta (&)
R. Iqbal
H.V. Bhasin
V. Khanzode
S. Maulik

Ergonomics and Human Factors, National Institute of Industrial Engineering,
Vihar Lake Road, Mumbai, Maharashtra 400087, India
e-mail: arundhati18@gmail.com
R. Iqbal
e-mail: rauf.nitie@gmail.com
A. De
Rajiv Gandhi Indian Institute of Management, Mayurbhanj Complex,
Nongthymmai, Shillong, Meghalaya, India

© Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2018 9

G.G. Ray et al. (eds.), Ergonomics in Caring for People,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-10-4980-4_2
10 A. Guha Thakurta et al.

1 Introduction

Awkward postures, dreary work, or handling heavy loads are some of the risk
factors that contribute to musculoskeletal disorders (MSD) and work-related dis-
orders are mostly cumulative due to repeated exposure to loads at work over a long
time period and account for absenteeism from the workplace in many occupational
groups [5]. However, much less attention has been given to the public health of
lower limb musculoskeletal disorders and injuries relative to work-related MSD of
the upper extremities and lower back area [2]. The manner of walking with normal
speed of about 2.5–3 mph is defined as normal human gait [7]. It maintains a
sequence of movement of the two legs containing two distinct phases, stance phase
and swing phase [12].

1.1 Effects of Load on Gait

Nowadays, human motion analysis has received a lot of research attention and is
used in load determination and effect [3]. Load carriage tasks have the probability to
cause s variety of injuries fractures of knee, ankle, and low back associated with
slips and falls [13]. Specifically, the effects of different ways of carrying external
loads on gait were being measured as load carriage is a very common daily activity
at home and in the workplace and is a common cause of injuries, including those of
the knee and lower back [8]. Therefore, it is important to understand the effects of
different modes of load carriage on human gait pattern [10]. There are many pre-
vious studies that characterize the nature of gait and the effects that external loads
have on gait [9] and found that the swing phase of gait decreases when carrying a
load, while the stance is not much affected by loads [9, 14].
Few studies compared the impact of different modes of load carriage on human
gait. Women in daily work were found to have a higher incidence of muscu-
loskeletal injuries due to their structure when carrying a load during their daily
activities [11, 15]. Various load configurations for healthy men have been exam-
ined, but such study on women is scarce. This study examined the changes in gait
patterns of both healthy men and women in India while carrying load in different
modes.

2 Objectives

This study aims to quantify the gait pattern differences between unloaded and
different types of loaded walking in between Indian men and women and classify
these differences using simple analytical models.
2 Characteristics of Gait Variability Among Healthy Indian … 11

3 Methods

Five healthy female and five healthy male Indian construction workers without any
musculoskeletal problems in the spine and legs were selected for this study. An
informed consent of each participant was taken before taking part in the experiment.
Their ages ranged from 20 to 25 years. The study obtained ethics approval of the
National Institute of Industrial Engineering (NITIE) Ethics committee, Mumbai,
India. Thirty six reflective markers were placed on specific locations of each vol-
unteer’s legs and pelvic region. The defining reflective markers, which enabled
Visual 3D to reconstruct the digital skeleton of the volunteers. An array of six high
speed cameras type-OQUS by Qualisys Motion Capture System, Sweden were used
to film the volunteers walking along a 7 m walkway. Each volunteer first walked at
their self-selected speed without any load. This was used to establish a baseline and
then, in random order, they walked along the walkway with a 15-kg cubical load
box of 40 cm  40 cm  16 cm on the head, across one shoulder and separately
on left and right hand (frontal plane) and pulling and pushing of load against the
ground with a wheel less trolley were also considered. Each volunteer followed the
same protocol for the four testing conditions. The volunteers were allowed to walk
on both the force plates (Kistler, Switzerland). Force plate-1 and force plate-2 were
stepped by left foot and right foot respectively. The volunteers were asked to walk
for 60 s during which four trials were recorded by the OQUS infrared digital
cameras. The average of the trials was considered for analysis to minimize the
experimental error and bias.

4 Results and Discussion

The volunteers (male and females) were selected between the age group of 20–
25 years for performing the task of load carrying in different modes which were
purposely selected. The demographic data like height, weight, etc. has been pre-
sented in Table 1. The average basal metabolic rate (BMI) of both males and
females were within the cut off range, as normal cut off values for BMI was
23 kg/m2 for both sexes [16]. The demographic were used to determine the gait
characteristics of an individual.
In Table 2, the average stride length was normally found to decrease with loaded
condition compared to unloaded condition. It decreased more during head load in
females and while pulling the load against the ground in males. The stride length
decreases with the decrease in speed during loaded condition. The stride width was
maximum during pushing the load both for females and male followed by head load.
The cadence (steps/min) decreases with the load conditions and it was minimum
during pulling the load. The gait speed (km/h) was minimum while pulling the load
in females and in males. An increase in double support and a decrease in preferred
stride length as carried load increased has been noted [1] but it is found that with
12 A. Guha Thakurta et al.

Table 1 General information of the volunteers

Variables Gender Age Height Weight BMI Hip Pelvis
(years) (cm) (kg) (kg/m2) circumference depth
(cm) (cm)
Mean Females 22.3 157.5 58.5 22.3 96.5 12.7
Males 24.3 165.8 60.2 22.9 92.5 11.0
Standard Females 1.64 7.42 8.65 3.20 6.12 1.80
deviation Males 1.44 5.68 7.23 3.20 7.42 1.50
Range 20–25 147.7–171.0 41.5–69.9 17.61–27.65 86–103.5 10.3–16.5
Mean ± SD

Table 2 Effect of different load carriage modes on basic gait parameters

#Load pattern/gait Stride length Stride width Cadence Speed
variables! (cm) (cm) (steps/min) (km/h)
Free walk
Female 130 ± 0.08 11.0 ± 0.02 124 ± 9.50 5.04 ± 0.14
Male 140 ± 0.08 13.9 ± 0.04 132 ± 8.70 5.76 ± 0.19
Head
Female 110 ± 0.22 12.6 ± 0.03 107 ± 5.30 4.32 ± 0.17
Male 120 ± 2.30 14.5 ± 0.05 110 ± 4.40 4.68 ± 0.16
Right hand
Female 120 ± 0.12 11.0 ± 0.02 115 ± 8.30 4.68 ± 0.18
Male 120 ± 2.30 13.6 ± 0.03 118 ± 6.50 5.04 ± 0.12
Left hand
Female 120 ± 0.26 11.9 ± 0.02 116 ± 6.40 4.68 ± 0.11
Male 120 ± 2.30 12.8 ± 0.03 118 ± 7.80 5.04 ± 0.08
Shoulder
Female 120 ± 0.12 11.8 ± 0.02 119 ± 4.50 4.68 ± 0.14
Male 130 ± 0.21 13.2 ± 0.03 118 ± 3.30 5.04 ± 0.25
Pushing against the ground
Female 130 ± 0.37 14.0 ± 0.04 110 ± 7.20 4.82 ± 2.30
Male 130 ± 0.08 15.4 ± 0.02 115 ± 9.50 5.15 ± 1.30
Pulling against the ground
Female 118 ± 2.30 14.5 ± 0.05 105 ± 5.20 4.32 ± 0.16
Male 124 ± 0.22 12.6 ± 0.03 107 ± 5.70 4.68 ± 0.17
Mean ± SD

change in load carriage mode both the parameters changes significantly. With
increasing speed also the stride length increases [18]. In Table 3, the swing time
found to decrease while carrying load and was minimum while carrying head load
and load pulling for both males and females, as speed decreases with the load
condition and this is in accordance with the study of Beauchet et al. [2], whereas
double limb support time increased during loaded condition. Single-limb support
Table 3 Effect of different load carriage modes on selected gait parameters (stance, swing and cycle time, double limb support)
Load Gender Stance time (s) Swing time (s) Double support Cycle time Double
pattern Left Right Left Right (s) (s) support
(no of times)
Free Walk Female 0.626 ± 0.052 0.624 ± 0.055 0.412 ± 0.028 0.412 ± 0.015 0.5 ± 0.27 1.2 ± 0.31 9.0 ± 1.06
Male 0.691 ± 0.051 0.680 ± 0.018 0.471 ± 0.053 0.452 ± 0.046 0.3 ± 0.76 1.0 ± 0.27 7.0 ± 1.25
Head Female 0.570 ± 0.073 0.570 ± 0.032 0.360 ± 0.018 0.385 ± 0.051 0.2 ± 0.06 1.2 ± 0.10 15.0 ± 5.33
Male 0.597 ± 0.028 0.592 ± 0.032 0.425 ± 0.028 0.418 ± 0.070 0.1 ± 0.09 1.1 ± 0.50 14.0 ± 3.55
Right Female 0.536 ± 0.019 0.540 ± 0.037 0.454 ± 0.030 0.462 ± 0.053 0.2 ± 0.03 1.1 ± 0.06 9.0 ± 3.31
Hand Male 0.608 ± 0.027 0.594 ± 0.030 0.420 ± 0.038 0.420 ± 0.032 0.3 ± 0.76 1.0 ± 0.27 8.0 ± 2.30
Left Hand Female 0.571 ± 0.056 0.562 ± 0.068 0.419 ± 0.056 0.422 ± 0.064 0.2 ± 0.56 1.1 ± 0.11 9.0 ± 2.11
Male 0.494 ± 0.068 0.500 ± 0.073 0.396 ± 0.051 0.377 ± 0.070 0.3 ± 0.26 1.0 ± 0.67 8.0 ± 1.30
Shoulder Female 0.673 ± 0.028 0.678 ± 0.018 0.453 ± 0.030 0.448 ± 0.051 0.2 ± 0.02 1.0 ± 0.06 12.0 ± 5.68
Male 0.668 ± 0.053 0.660 ± 0.015 0.462 ± 0.055 0.448 ± 0.032 0.3 ± 0.15 1.1 ± 0.07 14 ± 0.05
2 Characteristics of Gait Variability Among Healthy Indian …

Push Female 0.604 ± 0.053 0.668 ± 0.054 0.434 ± 0.043 0.435 ± 0.28 0.2 ± 0.07 1.0 ± 0.25 9.0 ± 0.04
Male 0.652 ± 0.056 0.626 ± 0.028 0.400 ± 0.024 0.417 ± 0.036 0.3 ± 5.97 1.0 ± 0.05 8.0 ± 2.27
Pull Female 0.670 ± 0.053 0.592 ± 0.053 0.425 ± 0.043 0.418 ± 0.024 0.1 ± 0.09 1.2 ± 0.50 17.0 ± 3.55
Male 0.597 ± 0.056 0.670 ± 0.034 0.340 ± 0.056 0.335 ± 0.056 0.2 ± 0.06 1.1 ± 0.10 15.0 ± 5.33
Mean ± SD
13
14 A. Guha Thakurta et al.

time increased and double limb support time decreased on both legs with each
increase in speed [17]. Cycle times were almost same for all the modes of load but
slightly greater during pulling the load and head load. Number of time of double
limb support was found to be maximum during pulling the load carrying head load.
Females exhibit lower extremity kinematic patterns that differ from males. Female
kinematic patterns may contribute to an increased risk for lower extremity injury [6].
Statistical analyses were performed using SPSS 18. For each subject the average
and the standard deviation of the parameters were determined. Comparisons using a
one-way ANOVA with repeated measures were conducted to examine differences
between parameters during different conditions at p < 0.05. Changes in selected
gait parameters were noted while walking with different load condition.. This is in
accordance with the results of the study carried out by Connolly et al. [4].
There are some limitations in this study. The selected walking distance in the
laboratory was small compared to their actual paving walkway. The influence of
fatigue on gait pattern during different modes of load carriage would make a
valuable contribution.

5 Conclusion

In developing countries like India, construction labours, both males and females, of
different age groups engaged in manual load handling carries heavy loads in dif-
ferent ways depending on the type of load to be carried. The results of the study
indicated that the males and females exhibited notably different gait patterns in all
modes of load carriage. Females were substantially affected than males, thereby
signifying a greater sensitivity to all the modes of load carriages. Vigilant inspec-
tion should be carried out while selecting the mode of load carriage and the
magnitude of the load, specially, when carried by the females because of the greater
impact of their physiological as well as bio-mechanical influences and the addi-
tional involuntary stresses experienced during locomotion compared to males. The
results would also have implications on carrying load in a variety of industrial
situations and environments.

References

1. Birrell SA, Hooper RH, Roger A, Haslam RA (2007) The effect of military load carriage on
ground reaction forces. Gait Posture 26(4):4–611
2. Beauchet O, Annweiler C, Lecordroch Y, Allali G, Dubost V, Herrmann FR, Kressig RW
(2009) Walking speed related changes in stride time variability: effects of speed. J NeuroEng
Rehabil 6:32
3. Ben Abdelkader C, Cutler R, Davis L (2002) Stride and cadence as a biometric in automatic
person identification and verification. In: 5th international conference on automatic face and
gesture recognition
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did I dream that my own hand should guide it there. Oh! say you are
not married.”
Lilias, who knew the violent temper of her nurse, and imagined her
present ravings proceeded from offended pride at not having been
made privy to the marriage, now attempted to soothe her feelings.
“Nay, my dear Elspeth, take not on so; you know Sir Maurice and I
have long loved each other; to-morrow morning he rides to join
Montrose, who has conquered for the king at Tippermuir. I tremble
to be left behind, and have therefore resolved to accompany him; in
these circumstances, was it not fitting that he should have a
husband’s title to protect me? ’Twas but this morning we were
wedded; and I ever meant to tell you here.”
“Here, said you?” replied the old woman, shuddering. “But I am
guiltless. You were ordained to be the destruction of each other
before the world was. James Graham will look long and wearily for
your coming, I fear. Hush! the Campbells are about the house; and
he is coming to seek you here.”
“Who?—Sir Mungo Campbell?” said Lilias and her husband, in the
same breath.
“Even he,” replied Elspeth; “he brings the warrant of the Estates to
apprehend Sir Maurice, and has orders from the Marquis of Argyle to
secure your own person.”
“Treacherous, infamous wretch!”—“Cruel, unkind Elspeth!” burst
again simultaneously from the lips of Maurice and his bride.
“Upbraid me not, Lady Lilias; alas! what must fall will fall. Oh, that
you had trusted me. I fondly hoped that Sir Mungo Campbell might
yet be your husband, and that I should see you the proud and happy
mistress of Castle Lorn; but married!—he will water this floor with
our blood!”
And again the wretched old woman, overcome with remorse and
terror, shrieked aloud. Then, as if stung by some instantaneous and
overpowering feeling, she hastily quitted the apartment. The
betrayed and devoted pair gazed for a few minutes at each other in
silent sadness. There was more of grief than terror in these mournful
looks; for it was for the calamity of the other that each heart bled. At
length the lady sunk, weeping, into his arms.
 “Oh, Maurice, Maurice, bitterly are our fears fulfilled! We are lost!
There is no escape from the bloodhounds who have beset us.”
“Nay, nay, my love,” replied the knight, feigning the tranquillity he
did not feel; “think not so. I must have heard the arrival of the party,
had we been yet surrounded. There still is time to escape from the
net prepared for us. Once on horseback, between the darkness of the
night, and the wild nature of these hills, we may manage to escape.”
Ere Lilias could make answer to this cheering discourse, Elspeth
entered the apartment.
“Haste!” she exclaimed in an emphatic whisper, “a moment yet is
left. Sir Mungo has not arrived. Leave, oh leave, this fearful place!”
and she wrung her hands impatiently.
The lovers lost no time in obeying this invitation. Two large riding-
cloaks were supplied by Elspeth, in order to conceal their forms, if
they should unhappily be met by Sir Mungo; while, still more to
defeat detection, it was agreed that Lilias should mount the nurse’s
pony.
“And you, Elspeth,” said the lady, with a kind-heartedness which
no personal danger could destroy, “what shall become of you?”
“Fear not for me,” replied Elspeth chokingly; “I fear nothing—fly!”
Maurice now led his lady to the open plain, and here saw, with
sorrow, that the moon, which shone dazzlingly bright, would destroy
almost every hope of escaping the recognition of Sir Mungo
Campbell, should that individual meet them; and this was, alas! too
soon to happen. They had only turned the angle of the building, with
the intention of taking the hillward path, when they saw a band of
armed men, at the head of whom stood one whom hatred and fear at
once enabled both to pronounce the man they sought to shun.
“Who comes there?” cried Sir Mungo, harshly.
“Friends to King Charles,” replied Maurice, undauntedly.
“That may well be,” replied Campbell, “and yet deep foes to
Scotland. Sir Maurice Ogilvy, I arrest thee of high treason!”
“Win me, and wear me, Roundhead!” cried the knight; and,
throwing off the cloak which cumbered him, he drew his sword with
one hand, while with the other he plucked Lilias from her seat, and
placed her before him. Then giving the rowel to his horse, he dashed
among the astonished Highlanders, who either fell before, or yielded
a passage to the gallant steed.
A wild yell arose amid the stillness of the night, as the Campbells
perceived the rapid pace at which Maurice rode, and which, if
continued for a few minutes, must soon place him beyond the chance
of capture, and matchlocks and pistols were employed in vain to
interrupt his career. But, alas! Heaven had decreed the triumph of
the guilty. Urged to his utmost speed, Rupert would soon have saved
his master, and his yet more precious load, when, his foot striking
against a piece of earthfast rock, he stumbled—made a futile effort to
recover himself—and at last fell on his side. Sir Maurice instantly
sprung to his feet, but Lilias lay apparently lifeless on the turf. He
kneeled down, and raised her in his arms, but she replied not to his
eager questionings. He could feel no pulse, to tell him of returning
life; and to his despair, he perceived the blood flowing profusely from
her white brow.
“She is gone!” cried he, bitterly. “Now, Campbell, for thy heart;”
and as he spoke, he lifted his weapon from the grass. He had hardly
regained it, when he was surrounded by the Highlanders.
“Yield thee, Sir Maurice, or thou diest.”
“Never to one of thy detested clan will Maurice Ogilvy give up his
sword. Send back your murderers, Campbell, and let us settle here
our long arrear of hatred.”
“Once more I bid thee yield.”
“Again do I defy thee.”
“Thy blood be on thy head then. Smite the braggart to the dust.”
The word was barely uttered when the upraised arm of one who
stood behind the youth buried a dirk in his bosom. He reeled to the
earth, tried with dimming eye to scan the features of Lilias as she lay
still prostrate on the ground, and then casting his eyes upwards,
murmured out, “Bear witness, Heaven, I die true to love, and faithful
to the king!” A moment more, and he was silent.
Campbell next proceeded to raise the body of Lilias from the
ground. It seemed as if her deep-rooted aversion to this person was
so vital as even to govern her while in a state of insensibility; for no
sooner had his fingers touched her waist, than she started from the
ground, and, drawing her hands across her eyes, gazed wildly
around. A moment sufficed to show her the cureless ruin which had
befallen her hopes and happiness, and, bursting from the grasp of
her hated suitor, and exclaiming in a voice hoarse in agony, “Stand
off, monster! I am his wife!” she threw herself with reckless violence
on the prostrate corpse. Even the heart of Campbell was touched by
her extreme misery, and some minutes elapsed ere he could give
directions for her removal. That was now needless. In her frantic
despair, poor Lilias regarded death as an enviable blessing; the
dagger of Maurice afforded her the ready means of escaping at once
from all her worldly woe, and her cruel captors only raised her to
discover that her heart’s blood was now mingling on the same turf
with that of him who had alone possessed her living love.
On the following morning, the wandering shepherds of the
neighbourhood perceived a new-made grave in the churchyard of
Saint Catherine, and a wretched being in female attire seated beside
it. Hers was a grief “too deep for tears”—a sorrow too mighty for
mortal alleviation. She spoke to no one, replied to no one, but
continued, with her head resting on her lap, to spend the livelong day
by the side of the unfortunates whom her well-meant treachery had
stretched so untimely there. As the winter advanced, she grew
weaker and weaker, but still she abstained not from her daily vigil.
Even when, from debility, she was unable to walk, she prevailed on
some one to carry her to the lonely cemetery; and her dying words to
her pitying neighbours were—“Bury me at the feet of Lady Lilias—
remember, at the feet.”—Edinburgh Literary Gazette.
TRADITIONS OF THE CELEBRATED MAJOR
WEIR.

By Robert Chambers, LL.D.

In one of the most ancient streets of Edinburgh, called the West

Bow, stood the house formerly inhabited by Major Weir, whose name
is scarcely more conspicuous in the Criminal Records of Scotland,
than it is notorious in the mouth of popular tradition. The awful
tenement was situated in a small court at the back of the main street,
accessible by a narrow entry leading off to the east, about fifty yards
from the top of the Bow. It was a sepulchral-looking fabric, with a
peculiarly dejected and dismal aspect, as if it were conscious of the
bad character which it bore among the neighbouring houses.
It is now about one hundred and fifty years since Major Weir, an
old soldier of the civil war, and the bearer of some command in the
City Guard of Edinburgh, closed a most puritanical life, by confessing
himself a sorcerer, and being burnt accordingly at the stake. The
scandal in which this involved the Calvinistic party seems to have
been met, on their part, by an endeavour to throw the whole blame
upon the shoulders of Satan; and this conclusion, which was almost
justified by the mystery and singularity of the case, has had the effect
of connecting the criminal’s name inalienably with the demonology
of Scotland.
Sundry strange reminiscences of Major Weir and his house are
preserved among the old people of Edinburgh, and especially by the
venerable gossips of the West Bow. It is said he derived that singular
gift of prayer by which he surprised all his acquaintance, and
procured so sanctimonious a reputation, from his walking-cane! This
implement, it appears, the Evil One, from whom he procured it, had
endowed with the most wonderful properties and powers. It not only
inspired him with prayer, so long as he held it in his hand, but it
acted in the capacity of a Mercury, in so far as it could go an errand,
or run a message. Many was the time it went out to the neighbouring
shops for supplies of snuff to its master! And as the fact was well
known, the shopkeepers of the Bow were not startled at the
appearance of so strange a customer. Moreover, it often “answered
the door,” when people came to call upon the Major, and it had not
unfrequently been seen running along before him, in the capacity of
link-boy, as he walked down the Lawnmarket. Of course, when the
Major was burnt, his wooden lieutenant and valet was carefully burnt
with him, though it does not appear in the Justiciary Records that it
was included in the indictment, or that Lord Dirleton subjected it, in
common with its master, to the ceremony of a sentence.
It is also said that the spot on which the Major was burnt,—
namely, the south-east corner of the esplanade on the Castle-Hill,—
continued ever after scathed and incapable of vegetation. But we
must beg to suggest the possibility of this want of verdure being
occasioned by the circumstance of the esplanade being a hard gravel-
walk. We are very unwilling to find scientific reasons for last-century
miracles,—to withdraw the veil from beautiful deceptions,—or to
dispel the halo which fancy may have thrown around the incidents of
a former day. But a regard for truth obliges us to acknowledge, that
the same miracle, attributed to the burning-place of Wishart, at St
Andrews, may be accounted for in a similar way, the spot being now
occupied by what the people thereabouts denominate, in somewhat
homely phrase, “a mussel midden.”
For upwards of a century after Major Weir’s death, he continued to
be the bugbear of the Bow, and his house remained uninhabited. His
apparition was frequently seen at night flitting, like a black and silent
shadow, about the purlieus of that singular street. His house, though
known to be deserted by everything human, was sometimes observed
at midnight to be full of lights, and heard to emit strange sounds, as
of dancing, howling, and, what is strangest of all, spinning. It was
believed, too, that every night, when the clock of St Giles tolled
twelve, one of the windows sprung open, and the ghost of a tall
woman in white, supposed to be the Major’s equally terrible sister,
came forward, and bent her long figure thrice over the window, her
face every time touching the wall about three feet down, and then
retired, closing the window after her with an audible clang.
Some people had occasionally seen the Major issue from the low
“close,” at the same hour, mounted on a black horse without a head,
and gallop off in a whirlwind of flame. Nay, sometimes the whole of
the inhabitants of the Bow together were roused from their sleep at
an early hour in the morning, by the sound as of a coach-and-six,
first rattling up the Lawnmarket, and then thundering down the
Bow, stopping at the head of the terrible “close” for a few minutes,
and then rattling and thundering back again,—being neither more
nor less than Satan come in one of his best equipages, to take home
to his abode the ghosts of the Major and his sister, after they had
spent a night’s leave of absence in their terrestrial dwelling. In
support of these beliefs, circumstances, of course, were not awanting.
One or two venerable men of the Bow, who had, perhaps, on the
night of the 7th September 1736, popped their night-capped heads
out of their windows, and seen Captain Porteous hurried down their
street to execution, were pointed out by children as having actually
witnessed some of the dreadful doings alluded to. One worthy, in
particular, declared he had often seen coaches parading up and down
the Bow at midnight, drawn by six black horses without heads, and
driven by a coachman of the most hideous appearance, whose
flaming eyes, placed at an immense distance from each other in his
forehead, as they gleamed through the darkness, resembled nothing
so much as the night-lamps of a modern vehicle.
About forty years ago, when the shades of superstition began
universally to give way in Scotland, Major Weir’s house came to be
regarded with less terror by the neighbours, and an attempt was
made by the proprietor to find a person who would be bold enough
to inhabit it. Such a person was procured in William Patullo, a poor
man of dissipated habits, who, having been at one time a soldier and
a traveller, had come to disregard in a great measure the
superstitions of his native country, and was now glad to possess a
house upon the low terms offered by the landlord, at whatever risk.
Upon it being known in the town that Major Weir’s house was about
to be re-inhabited, a great deal of curiosity was felt by people of all
ranks as to the result of the experiment; for there was scarcely a
native of the city who had not felt since his boyhood an intense
interest in all that concerned that awful fabric, and yet remembered
the numerous terrible stories which he had heard told respecting it.
Even before entering upon his hazardous undertaking, William
Patullo was looked upon with a flattering sort of interest—an interest
similar to that which we feel respecting a culprit under sentence of
death, a man about to be married, or a regiment on the march to
active conflict. It was the hope of many that he would be the means
of retrieving a valuable possession from the dominion of darkness.
But Satan soon let them know that he does not ever tamely
relinquish the outposts of his kingdom.
On the very first evening after Patullo and his spouse had taken up
their abode in the house, a circumstance took place which effectually
deterred them and all others from ever again inhabiting it. About one
in the morning, as the worthy couple were lying awake in their bed,
not unconscious of a considerable degree of fear, a dim uncertain
light proceeding from the gathered embers of their fire, and all being
silent around them, they suddenly saw a form like that of a calf, but
without the head, come through the lower panel of the door and
enter the room. A spectre more horrible, or more spectre-like
conduct, could scarcely have been conceived. The phantom
immediately came forward to the bed; and setting its fore-feet upon
the stock, looked steadfastly in all its awful headlessness at the
unfortunate pair, who were of course almost ready to die with fright.
When it had contemplated them thus for a few minutes, to their
great relief it at length took away its intolerable person, and slowly
retiring, gradually vanished from their sight. As might be expected,
they deserted the house next morning; and from that time forward,
no other attempt was ever made to embank this part of the world of
light from the aggressions of the world of darkness.

In the course of our experience we have met with many houses in

“Auld Reekie” which have the credit of being haunted. There is one at
this day [1829] in Buchanan’s Court, Lawnmarket, in the same
“land” in which the celebrated editor of the Edinburgh Review first
saw the light. It is a flat, and has been shut up from time
immemorial. The story goes, that one night, as preparations were
making for a supper party, something occurred which obliged the
family, as well as all the assembled guests, to retire with
precipitation, and lock up the house. From that night to this it has
never once been opened, nor was any of the furniture withdrawn;—
the very goose which was undergoing the process of being roasted at
the time of the dreadful occurrence is still at the fire! No one knows
to whom the house belongs; no one ever inquires after it; no one
living ever saw the inside of it;—it is a condemned house! There is
something peculiarly dreadful about a house under these
circumstances. What sights of horror might present themselves if it
were entered! Satan is the ultimus hæres of all such unclaimed
property.
Besides the numberless old houses in Edinburgh that are haunted,
there are many endowed with the simple credit of having been the
scenes of murders and suicides. Some we have met with, containing
rooms which had particular names commemorative of such events,
and these names, handed down as they had been from one
generation to another, usually suggested the remembrance of some
dignified Scottish families, probably the former tenants of the
houses.
The closed house in Mary King’s Close (behind the Royal
Exchange) is believed by some to have met with that fate for a very
fearful reason. The inhabitants at a very remote period were, it is
said, compelled to abandon it by the supernatural appearance which
took place in it, on the very first night after they had made it their
residence. At midnight, as the goodman was sitting with his wife by
the fire, reading his Bible, and intending immediately to go to bed, a
strange dimness which suddenly fell upon the light caused him to
raise his eyes from the book. He looked at the candle, and saw it was
burning blue. Terror took possession of his frame. He turned away
his eyes from the ghastly object; but the cure was worse than the
disease. Directly before him, and apparently not two yards off, he
saw the head as of a dead person looking him straight in the face.
There was nothing but a head, though that seemed to occupy the
precise situation in regard to the floor which it might have done had
it been supported by a body of the ordinary stature. The man and his
wife fainted with terror. On awaking, darkness pervaded the room.
Presently the door opened, and in came a hand holding a candle.
This advanced and stood—that is, the body supposed to be attached
to the hand stood—beside the table, whilst the terrified pair saw two
or three couples of feet skip along the floor, as if dancing. The scene
lasted a short time, but vanished quite away upon the man gathering
strength to invoke the protection of Heaven. The house was of course
abandoned, and remained ever afterwards shut up.
 THE WINDY YULE.

By John Galt.

It was in the course of the winter after the decease of Bailie

M‘Lucre, that the great loss of lives took place, which, everybody
agreed, was one of the most calamitous things that had for many a
year befallen the town.
Three or four vessels were coming with cargoes of grain from
Ireland; another from the Baltic with Norway deals; and a third from
Bristol, where she had been on a charter for some Greenock
merchants.
It happened that, for a time, there had been contrary winds,
against which no vessel could enter the port, and the ships whereof I
have been speaking were all lying together at anchor in the bay,
waiting a change of weather. These five vessels were owned among
ourselves, and their crews consisted of fathers and sons belonging to
the place, so that, both by reason of interest and affection, a more
than ordinary concern was felt for them; for the sea was so rough,
that no boat could live in it to go near them, and we had our fears
that the men on board would be very ill off. Nothing, however,
occurred but this natural anxiety, till the Saturday, which was Yule.
In the morning the weather was blasty and sleety, waxing more and
more tempestuous till about midday, when the wind checked
suddenly round from the nor’-east to the sou’-west, and blew a gale
as if the prince of the powers of the air was doing his utmost to work
mischief. The rain blattered, the windows clattered, the shop-
shutters flapped, pigs from the lum-heads came rattling down like
thunder claps, and the skies were dismal both with cloud and carry.
Yet, for all that, there was in the streets a stir and a busy visitation
between neighbours, and every one went to their high windows, to
look at the five poor barks that were warsling against the strong arm
of the elements of the storm and the ocean.
Still the lift gloomed, and the wind roared, and it was as doleful a
sight as ever was seen in any town afflicted with calamity to see the
sailors’ wives, with their red cloaks about their heads, followed by
their hirpling and disconsolate bairns, going one after another to the
kirkyard, to look at the vessels where their helpless bread-winners
were battling with the tempest. My heart was really sorrowful, and
full of a sore anxiety to think of what might happen to the town,
whereof so many were in peril, and to whom no human magistracy
could extend the arm of protection. Seeing no abatement of the
wrath of heaven, that howled and roared around us, I put on my big-
coat, and taking my staff in my hand, having tied down my hat with a
silk handkerchief, towards gloaming I walked likewise to the
kirkyard, where I beheld such an assemblage of sorrow, as few men
in a public situation have ever been put to the trial to witness.
In the lee of the kirk many hundreds of the town were gathered
together; but there was no discourse among them. The major part
were sailors’ wives and weans, and at every new thud of the blast, a
sob arose, and the mothers drew their bairns closer in about them, as
if they saw the visible hand of a foe raised to smite them. Apart from
the multitude, I observed three or four young lasses standing behind
the Whinnyhill family’s tomb, and I jaloused that they had joes in the
ships; for they often looked to the bay, with long necks and sad faces,
from behind the monument. A widow woman, one old Mary Weery,
that was a lameter, and dependent on her son, who was on board the
Louping Meg (as the Lovely Peggy was nicknamed at the shore),
stood by herself, and every now and then wrung her hands, crying,
with a woeful voice, “The Lord giveth, and the Lord taketh away;
blessed be the name of the Lord;”—but it was manifest to all that her
faith was fainting within her. But of all the piteous objects there, on
that doleful evening, none troubled my thoughts more than three
motherless children, that belonged to the mate of one of the vessels
in the jeopardy. He was an Englishman that had been settled some
years in the town, where his family had neither kith nor kin; and his
wife having died about a month before, the bairns, of whom the
eldest was but nine or so, were friendless enough, though both my
gudewife, and other well-disposed ladies, paid them all manner of
attention till their father would come home. The three poor little
things, knowing that he was in one of the ships, had been often out
and anxious, and they were then sitting under the lee of a headstone,
near their mother’s grave, chittering and creeping closer and closer
at every squall. Never was such an orphan-like sight seen.
When it began to be so dark that the vessels could no longer be
discerned from the churchyard, many went down to the shore, and I
took the three babies home with me, and Mrs Pawkie made tea for
them, and they soon began to play with our own younger children, in
blithe forgetfulness of the storm. Every now and then, however, the
eldest of them, when the shutters rattled and the lum-head roared,
would pause in his innocent daffing, and cower in towards Mrs
Pawkie, as if he was daunted and dismayed by something he knew
not what.
Many a one that night walked the sounding shore in sorrow, and
fires were lighted along it to a great extent; but the darkness and the
noise of the raging deep, and the howling wind, never intermitted till
about midnight: at which time a message was brought to me, that it
might be needful to send a guard of soldiers to the beach, for that
broken masts and tackle had come in, and that surely some of the
barks had perished. I lost no time in obeying this suggestion, which
was made to me by one of the owners of the Louping Meg; and to
show that I sincerely sympathised with all those in affliction, I rose
and dressed myself, and went down to the shore, where I directed
several old boats to be drawn up by the fires, and blankets to be
brought, and cordials to be prepared, for them that might be spared
with life to reach the land; and I walked the beach with the mourners
till daylight.
As the day dawned, the wind began to abate in its violence, and to
wear away from the sou’-west into the norit, but it was soon
discovered that some of the vessels with the corn had perished; for
the first thing seen was a long fringe of tangle and grain along the
line of the high-water mark, and every one strained with greedy and
grieved eyes, as the daylight brightened, to discover which had
suffered. But I can proceed no further with the dismal recital of that
doleful morning. Let it suffice here to be known, that, through the
haze, we at last saw three of the vessels lying on their beam-ends
with their masts broken, and the waves riding like the furious horses
of destruction over them. What had become of the other two was
never known; but it was supposed that they had foundered at their
anchors, and that all on board perished.
The day being now Sabbath, and the whole town idle, everybody in
a manner was down on the beach, to help and mourn as the bodies,
one after another, were cast out by the waves. Alas! few were the
better of my provident preparation, and it was a thing not to be
described to see, for more than a mile along the coast, the new-made
widows and fatherless bairns, mourning and weeping over the
corpses of those they loved. Seventeen bodies were, before ten
o’clock, carried to the desolated dwellings of their families; and when
old Thomas Pull, the betheral, went to ring the bell for public
worship, such was the universal sorrow of the town, that Nanse
Donsie, an idiot natural, ran up the street to stop him, crying, in the
voice of pardonable desperation, “Wha, in sic a time, can praise the
Lord?”
 GRIZEL COCHRANE.

Chapter I.
The age which this noble woman adorned with her life and heroic
actions was that gloomy one extending between the Restoration and
Revolution (from 1660 to 1688), when the Scottish nation suffered
under a cruel oppression, on account of their conscientious scruples
respecting the existing forms of Church and State. Three
insurrections, more bold than wise, marked the impatience of the
Scots under this bloody rule; but it was with the last solely that Grizel
Cochrane was connected.
Sir John Cochrane of Ochiltree, the father of our heroine, was the
second son of the first Earl of Dundonald, and the ancestor of the
present line of that noble and ingenious family. He was a
distinguished friend of Sidney, Russell, and other illustrious men,
who signalised themselves in England by their opposition to the
court; and he had so long endeavoured in vain to procure some
improvement in the national affairs, that he at length began to
despair of his country altogether, and formed the design of
emigrating to America. Having gone to London in 1683, with a view
to a colonising expedition to South Carolina, he became involved in
the deliberations of the Whig party, which at that time tended
towards a general insurrection in England and Scotland, for the
purpose of forcing an alteration of the royal councils, and the
exclusion of the Duke of York from the throne. In furtherance of this
plan, Sir John pledged himself to assist the Earl of Argyle in raising
the malcontents in Scotland. This earl was, if not the acknowledged
head of the party in that kingdom, at least the man of highest rank
who espoused its interests.
 By the treachery of some of his subordinate agents, this design was
detected prematurely; and while some were unfortunately taken and
executed, among whom were Sidney and Lord Russell, the rest fled
from the kingdom. Of the latter number were the Earl of Argyle, Sir
John Cochrane, and Sir Patrick Hume of Polwarth,—the last a patriot
rivalling Cochrane in talent and purity of motives, and also, like him,
destined to experience the devotedness of a daughter’s love. The
fugitives found safety in Holland, where they remained in peace till
the death of Charles the Second, in February 1685, when the Duke of
York, the object politically of their greatest detestation, became king.
It was then determined to invade Scotland with a small force, to
embody the Highland adherents of Argyle with the west country
Presbyterians, and, marching into England, to raise the people as
they moved along, and not rest till they had produced the desired
melioration of the State.
The expedition sailed in May, but the Government was enabled to
take such precautions as, from the very first, proved a complete
frustration to their designs. Argyle lingered timidly in his own
country, and finally, against the advice of Cochrane and Hume, who
were his chief officers, made some unfortunate movements, which
ended in the entire dissolution of his army, and his own capture and
death. While this well-meaning but weak nobleman committed
himself to a low disguise, in the vain hope of effecting his escape, Sir
John Cochrane and Sir Patrick Hume headed a body of 200 men,
formed out of the relics of the army, and bravely resolved, even with
that small force, to attempt the accomplishment of their original
intention—namely, a march into England. They accordingly crossed
the Clyde into Renfrewshire, where they calculated on obtaining
some reinforcement. The boats on this occasion being insufficient to
transport the whole at once, the first party, headed by the two
patriots, was obliged to contend, on the opposite bank of the river,
with a large squadron of militia, while the boats returned for the
remainder; after which the united force caused their opponents to
retreat. The militia returned, however, in greater force, and renewed
the assault at a place called Muirdykes, in the parish of
Lochwinnoch. They were now commanded by Lord Ross and a
Captain Clellan, and amounted to two troops, while Sir John
Cochrane’s men had decreased to seventy in number.
 In this predicament they were called on by the royal troops to lay
down their arms, and surrender themselves prisoners. But preferring
the risk of death on the field to the tender mercies of a vindictive foe,
they rejected the terms with disdain, and, entering a sheepfold, used
its frail sod walls as a defence against the furious attack of the
enemy, whom, after a keen conflict, in which every man fought hand
to hand with his opponents, they at length succeeded in beating off,
with the loss of their captain and some other men, while Lord Ross
was wounded. Cochrane, however, soon after learned that the enemy
was returning with a great reinforcement, and fearing that he could
not much longer defend himself on the field, retired with his troops
to a neighbouring wilderness or morass, where he dismissed them,
with the request that each man would provide the best way he could
for his own safety. For himself, having received two severe
contusions in the body during the engagement, and being worn out
with fatigue, he sought refuge in the house of his uncle, Mr Gavin
Cochrane of Craigmuir, who lived at no great distance from the place
of encounter. This gentleman, however, as it unfortunately
happened, had married a sister of the Captain Clellan killed in the
late battle, and, filled with revenge for the death of her brother, this
lady secretly informed against her guest, who was immediately seized
and removed to Edinburgh, where, after being paraded through the
streets, bound and bareheaded, and conducted by the common
hangman, he was lodged in the Tolbooth on the 3d of July 1685,
there to await his trial as a traitor. The day of trial came, and he was
condemned to death, in spite of the most strenuous exertions of his
aged father, the Earl of Dundonald, who, having received his title
from the hands of Charles the Second, had, from motives of honour,
never conspired against him.
Where is the tongue that can express all the secret and varied
anguish that penetrates the yearning heart, when about to leave for
ever the warm precincts of mortality, to quit the loving charities of
life, and to have all the cords which bound it to existence suddenly
torn asunder? Natural strength of mind may suffice to conceal much
of this mortal conflict, or even to hide it altogether from the eye of
the careless observer, but still it is at work within, and grapples in
deadly struggle with the spirit.
 Such was the state of Cochrane’s mind on the night of his
condemnation, when left once more to the gloomy solitude of his
prison. It was not the parting stroke of death he feared, however
sharp. He was a father, loving and beloved; and the thoughts of the
sorrow his children were doomed to suffer on his account, wrung his
heart, and burning tears, which his own fate could not have called
forth, were shed for them. No friend or relative had been permitted
to see him from the time of his apprehension; but it was now
signified to him, that any of his family that he desired to
communicate with might be allowed to visit him. Anxious, however,
to deprive his enemies of an opportunity of an accusation against his
sons, he immediately conveyed to them his earnest entreaties, and
indeed commands, that they should refrain from availing themselves
of this leave till the night before his execution. This was a sacrifice
which it required his utmost fortitude to make; and it had left him to
a sense of the most desolate loneliness, insomuch that when, late in
the evening, he heard his prison door unlocked, he lifted not his eyes
towards it, imagining that the person who entered could only be the
jailer, who was particularly repulsive in his countenance and
manner. What, then, was his surprise and momentary delight, when
he beheld before him his only daughter, and felt her arms entwining
his neck! Yet, when he looked on her face, and saw the expression it
bore of mute despairing agony, more fearful than the most frantic
manifestations of misery, and marked her pale cheeks, which no
longer bloomed with the tints of health and happiness, and felt the
cold dampness of her brow, he thought himself wrong for having
given way for an instant to the joy her presence had created, and
every other sensation fled before the fear of what might be the
consequence to her of this interview. He had no sooner, however,
expressed his feelings on this subject, than she became sensible that,
in order to palliate his misery, she must put a strong curb upon her
own, and in a short time was calm enough to enter into conversation
with her father upon the dismal subject of his present situation, and
to deliver a message from the old earl, her grandfather, by which he
was informed that an appeal had been made from him to the king,
and means taken to propitiate Father Peters, his Majesty’s confessor,
who, it was well known, often dictated to him in matters of State. It
appeared evident, however, by the turn which their discourse
presently took, that neither father nor daughter was at all sanguine
in their hopes from this negotiation. The Earl of Argyle had been
executed but a few days before, as had also several of his principal
adherents, though men of less consequence than Sir John Cochrane;
and it was therefore improbable that he, who had been so
conspicuously active in the insurrection, should be allowed to escape
the punishment which it was now in their power to inflict. Besides all
this, the treaty to be entered into with Father Peters would require
some time to adjust, and meanwhile the arrival of the warrant for
execution must every day be looked for.
Under these circumstances, several days passed, each of which
found Miss Grizel Cochrane an inmate of her father’s prison for as
many hours as she was permitted. During these interviews of the
father and daughter, while heart clung unto heart, they reaped all the
consolation which an undisguised knowledge of the piety and
courage of each could bestow. Still, after such intercourse, the
parting scene which they anticipated seemed more and more
dreadful to think of; and, as the daughter looked on the pale and
dejected countenance of her parent, her bosom was penetrated with
the sharpest pangs. The love of her father might be termed a
component part of her nature. She had cherished this filial love ever
since she possessed a consciousness of thought, and it was now
strong and absorbing, in proportion to the danger in which he stood.
Grizel Cochrane was only at that period eighteen years old; but it is
the effect of such perilous times as those in which she lived to sober
the reckless spirit of youth, and make men and women of children.
She had, however, a natural strength of character, that would, on all
extraordinary occasions, have displayed itself without such a tuition,
and which, being now joined with what she conceived the necessity
of the case, rendered her capable of a deed which has caused her
history to vie with that of the most distinguished of heroines.
Ever since her father’s condemnation, her daily and nightly
thoughts had dwelt on the fear of her grandfather’s communication
with the king’s confessor being rendered unavailable, for want of the
time necessary for enabling the friends in London, to whom it was
trusted, to make their application, and she boldly determined to
execute a plan, whereby the arrival of the death warrant would be
retarded. A short time, therefore, before it was expected by the
council in Edinburgh, she thought it necessary, in her visit to her
father, to mention that some urgent affair would prevent her from
seeing him again for a few days. Alarmed at this, and penetrating her
design of effecting somewhat in his favour, he warned her against
attempting impossibilities.
“Nothing is impossible to a determined mind,” said she; “and fear
nothing for me.”
“But the inexperience of youth, my child,” he replied, “may involve
you in danger and in blame; and did you but know the characters of
those you must encounter, while vainly pleading for your father’s life,
you would fear, as I do, the sullying of your fair fame.”
“I am a Cochrane, my father!” said the heroic girl—an answer how
brief, but to him how expressive! He could say no more; he beheld in
his child, so young, so beautiful, and so self-devoted, all the virtues of
her race combined, and he felt for the moment that the courage she
had prayed for would be granted to carry her through the
undertaking she meditated, whatever that might be. She felt grateful
to her father that he did not urge her further; but she trembled as she
turned, at her departure, to catch another look of those loved and
venerated features; for his eye appeared to be following her with a
parting expression, which seemed to say it was the last fond look.